1 Field of the Invention
This invention is related to tray structures and particularly to support trays for the packaging of tape-like film material wound on a hub.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Manufacturers of tape material (e.g. magnetic recording tape) commonly wind their finished products in relatively large rolls on flat annular hubs to be sold to customers who will then repackage the tape into smaller rolls of more convenient size. When such relatively large rolls are packaged for shipping, they are normally placed in specially designed trays which immobilize the roll in the shipping container and at the same time support the wound tape and its center hub to prevent the tape reel from separating and uncoiling. These trays usually have a thin area which supports the hub and then a relatively thicker (higher gauge) area to separately support the tape and help maintain the flatness of the roll.
When the tape is substantially more narrow than the hub on which it is wound, as for instance, when one-eighth inch magnetic recording tape (manufactured for use in cassette recorders) is wound on the same standard sized hub as the wider recording tape normally used for computers and professional recording machines, a special problem is encountered which the usual type of support tray is not well suited to handle. When the differential between the hub thickness and the tape width becomes large, a uniformly thicker tape support area in the support tray becomes difficult to achieve. Also, a substantial increase in the gauge of this area requires a corresponding increase in construction material and, consequently, an undesirable increase in the cost and weight of the tray.